Our concierges at Copacabana Palace managed to get some last minute tickets to see Christ the Redeemer up close.

We were visiting Rio at a time when there was a lot of mist so visiting earlier had not been an option.

We enjoyed the half hour ride on the vernacular railway and watched the lights turn on all over Rio as the sun had disappeared quickly.

The views are amazing as is being close to that iconic Rio statue. It was like an open jewel box, long lines of golden chains of light from the cars at commuter time against the black humps of mountain.

Tips

• Book online before you go if you want to visit at a specific time.
• Be prepared to climb many steps.
• Be prepared for a long wait to get back down the mountain at peak times, we waited 45 minutes.